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A Warp in Space
(Gold Key TOS) | number = 49 | date = 2267 | stardate = 5803.6 | artist = Alden McWilliams | writer = George Kashdan | omnibus = | published = | format = | pages = 23 | publisher = Gold Key Comics }} The Companion plunges the ''Enterprise into a starless void!'' – A Warp in Space was a Star Trek comic book story published by Gold Key Comics in 1977, the 49th issue of their ''TOS'' series. It was the tenth issue drawn by Alden McWilliams and the third of ten written by George Kashdan. In this story, James T. Kirk, Spock and Leonard McCoy reunited with Zephram Cochrane and the merged entity of Nancy Hedford/The Companion. Description ;Teaser page :It began as a routine mission for the ''Enterprise: Find the missing ships! But the Enterprise was destined for a trial that no human mind could foresee! For their judges were neither physical nor mental, but a breed of beings that had been spawned in another universe, millennia before the creation of what we call "life"!'' Summary :Captain's log, stardate 5803.6: We are now entering Canaris Galaxy, last known location of the experimental spacecraft which the ''Enterprise has been assigned to track down.'' Starfleet lost track of the hyperwarp starship and its sister ships when they approached warp factor 13 near Gamma Canaris N. Kirk, Spock and McCoy knew that this world was the secret haven of warp drive inventor Zephram Cochrane and The Companion, so they beamed down to ask for help. Cochrane was intrigued by the mathematical challenges and, despite The Companion's warnings, provided modifications for the Enterprise reach warp 13. Knowing what they would be getting into, The Companion left the body of Nancy Hedford, which could only survive alone for a few hours. As Kirk and Montgomery Scott discussed Cochrane's instructions on the bridge, The Companion took told of their ship. :Captain's log, stardate 5807.1: "The Companion" has transported us, by some mysterious process, through what Mr. Spock describes as, quote, a rip in the fabric of our universe, unquote! The Enterprise emerged into a starless universe full of cloud creatures just like The Companion. The missing vessels were contacted, but X-1 refused further communication. When Kirk ordered them to prepare to be boarded, all five fired at the Enterprise with energy beams that shrank the starship but not the crew, as a demonstration of their powers. Cloud creatures now piloted the vessels — none of their Starfleet crews had survived the transition between universes. The Enterprise s crew survived because The Companion had protected them. As this universe did not support biological life, the cloud creatures ordered Kirk to depart, minus The Companion. But Kirk told The Companion that they would not abandon her. Scott hurriedly implemented Cochrane's modifications, with Kirk counting on their ship's sturdier construction to keep them alive. The Enterprise departed and made it safely back to the prime universe. The Companion returned to the body of Nancy Hedford with seconds to spare. References Characters :Zefram Cochrane • Nancy Hedron/The Companion • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura Starships and vehicles : (''Constitution''-class) • (class F shuttlecraft) • (hyperwarp starship) Locations :Canaris Galaxy • Gamma Canaris N • starless universe Epsilon Canaris III • Loch Lomond Races and cultures :Human • cloud creature • Vulcan States and organizations :Federation • Fleet Headquarters Science and technology :communicator • computer • hyperwarp • logic • mathematics • pilot's log • shuttlecraft • stardate • warp drive Ranks and titles :assistant commissioner • captain • commissioner • doctor Other references :atmosphere • galaxy • meteor storm • planet • Sukarno's disease • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • star • supernova • telepathy • transporter room • universe Appendices Background * This story must take place prior to November 2267, when Cochrane and The Companion departed Gamma Canaris N during the events of }}. * The story is a sequel to }} and provided a four-page summary of the episode. To keep it brief, the flashback took some liberties. Kirk, Spock and McCoy recognized Cochrane immediately. Communicators were adapted to speak to The Companion, rather than explaining the concept of the universal translator. * The flashback correctly cited the episode's stardate, Hedford's rank and Cochrane's age. However, a few details were inconsistent. Writer George Kashdan misspelled Nancy Hedford's name and her affliction, Sakuro's disease. Hyperwarp's transitional speed was specified as warp 13 at the beginning of the story, but warp 15 at the end. * The episode showed a rejuvenated, younger Cochrane having a small, hand-made shelter. Artist Alden McWilliams depicted Cochrane as a balding, older man having a multi-story building. The Companion and her fellow cloud creatures appeared more like the white, smoky dikironium cloud creature than the colorful energy fields seen in the episode, perhaps due to the artistic limitations of comics in the 1970s. * Hedford wore four outfits in this story. She wore a red-and-black striped shirt and black miniskirt in the flashback, a black and purple striped dress when the Enterprise crew first arrived, an orange and black spotted suit when The Companion separated from Hedford's body, and oddly a different purple-and-black striped dress when The Companion returned to her body. * Cochrane wore two outfits: a green shirt with a high collar and brown pants in the flashback (as opposed to the red jumpsuit seen in the episode), and a black t-shirt with green pants in the rest of the story. * appeared in five panels in the flashback. * Although five hyperwarp starships were seen, only was named. * In less than a day, Cochrane came up with a way for the to approach warp 13, modifications which Montgomery Scott was able to implement in ten minutes. During Cochrane's appearance later that year in }}, however, his knowledge of warp drive was considered 150 years out of date. * This story was recently reprinted in English. Dutch and German translations were published in the 1970s. Related stories * }} – Introduced Zefram Cochrane, Nancy Hedford and The Companion. * }} – Described the final fates of Cochrane and The Companion. * – Cochrane's other appearance in Gold Key Comics, as part of an overview of Human history * }} – Depicted Cochrane's historic warp flight in 2063. * – In 2274, the refit Enterprise was shrunk by an energy beam that did not shrink the crew. Images Zefram Cochrane.jpg|Zefram Cochrane GK49-Nancy-Hedford.jpg|Nancy Hedford/The Companion GK49-X-1-starship.jpg|X-1 hyperwarp starship Connections Production history ;November 1977 : First published by Gold Key Comics ;September 2008 : Included on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD (Graphic Imaging Technologies) ;6 December 2018 : Printed in Graphic Novel Collection #51 (Eaglemoss) Translations ;1978 : German: Abridged in 12 pages as "Der Begleiter" in Raumschiff Enterprise Comic Album #2 (Condor) ;1979 : Dutch: As "Overdrive in de Ruimte" in Ruimteschip Enterprise Strip-album #2 (De Vrijbuiter) External links * * Best of Gold Key #42-61 article at The Mugato’s Blog. Category:TOS comics